New Generation of MP3 Players, New Features

i4u writes "We got our hands on new Flash MP3 Players from two Korean Manufactures. Both players feature audio functions not seen in MP3 Player before, like SRS, WOW and TruBass. The Muzio JM-200 uses a two color OLED display. The Eratech EMP-100 is betting on small size with measurements of only 30x75x16mm." The larger (and stranger looking) JM-200 also lists ogg playback as a feature.

Comments

flash MP3 players?

[jbellis]

how 1990s :)

seriously though anecdotal evidence suggests that the new HD-based devices are fine even for jogging. I guess the only niche left after that is if you need something even smaller than an IPod Mini...

Re:flash MP3 players?

[KingOfBLASH]

The question is not are the HD based devices fine for jogging, but are they fine for sprinting? I bought a mini disc player a few years back, that was supposed to be safe to jog with, and it skipped uncontrollably when I ran faster than a pace of 7:30 minutes / mile. Plus, I'd like to point out that jogging / running put an unbelievable amount of stress on devices. If you've got an mp3 player in your arms that you're swinging wildly, and are running at a good clip, I would speculate you could cause a lot of damage to a hard drive that causes it to fail prematurely.

Re:flash MP3 players?

[krouic]

I have a Rio PMP300 (yes the first portable MP3 player on the market) and have been using it for jogging about 40 km/week since January 1999, enduring heat, rain, freeze and sweat.

It has no moving parts, hence its still perfect condition. It is smaller and weights less than an iPod and uses a normal AA (replaceable) battery.

I do not think that a HD based player would have survived more than a year with the abuse my Rio has gone through.

Apple on Top..

[artlu]

Unless I can get a flash player for $50 that is the size of a AAA battery, flash players are dead to me. Nothing can stop the iPod!

I just see crappy iPod interfaces

[TheOtherAgentM]

People seem to understand that iPod got it right with their circular controls, but all the other MP3 plays I've seen implement it ths far shrink it so much. I'm no giant of a man, but my fingers are still fat enough to mash a few buttons at once. Smaller is not always better. I never understood the benefit of OGG either. Could someone explain that? When I have 15GB does it really matter how great my compression is on the songs?

Re:The US always the last to get cool stuff

[cspenn]

UL testing, among other things. I used to work at Sony Electronics, and about half of the Japan imports failed UL testing - the first run of VAIO laptops actually caught fire - as in flames like a Christmas hearth - when they were first brought to SEL Park Ridge back in 1997.

UL stress testing replicates a lot of the unimaginably stupid things users do to their devices.

Ogg Vorbis Support

[Anonymous Coward]

It's nice to see these new players support open source audio formats like Ogg Vorbis. It's even nicer to see services like Audio Lunchbox and others offer Oggs for download.

Re:USB speeds?

[meringuoid]

Quite so. Unfortunately when I had TruBass switched on I quickly discovered the inadequacies of my car's sound system...

I'm going to have to get hold of a copy of 'The Antisocial Urban Driver's Handbook on Making your Car into a Bloody Great Boom-Box' to make best use of this thing.

Note: I an entirely unaffiliated with iRiver, but they do make some damn fine mp3 players.

Re:The US always the last to get cool stuff

[OS24Ever]

FYI - Japan is on the exact same power distribution method that the US is. The rest of the AP companies aren't, but Japan is.

This is timely for me

[ThePlague]

I've been looking to get an MP3 player as a gift for someone for a few weeks now, and I just can't seem to find one model that has the features I want:

Flash-based: she's a runner, so I don't believe the HD based ones could last

FM Tuner

USB 2.0

Voice Recording

256 MB internal, with the ability to expand via a card slot (SD preferable, but others would be considered)

Act as pen drive (in Windows) without additional drivers or the need for a cable.

It seems like relatively simple and low-end requirements, but I can't seem to find a device that fulfills all these. If you know of one specifically, I would appreciate feedback.

The perfect mp3 player

[pcx]

The ideal mp3 player would be...

1] A cell phone with bluetooth capability.
2] A bluetooth enabled headset.
3] All major music formats including ogg.
4] A "bookmark" feature (useful for book on tape or book on mp3).
5] Stopwatch with lap timing and counters. (For those of us who exercise)
6] FM tuner.
7] XM or Syrius Tuner.
8] Uses standard flash ram cards for expansion.
9] USB 2.0 at minimum.
10] Rechargable battery and docking station.
11] Garage door opener (for those who exercise and need a way to get into the house without lugging your keys around) :)

That's my wish list. To date, nobody has even come close.

Re:The US always the last to get cool stuff

[dpbsmith]

The U. S. has had a good long run as global superpower, over half a century. The British Empire wasn't at its peak for that long.

"Waiting for the cool (technological) stuff" is one of a number of signs that the U. S. may be at about the peak of its power and influence, and a slight decline may have already started.

Computer technology is not a secret, and all the manufacturing is now being done overseas. We should not be surprised that the U.S. is no longer the dominant innovator.

The U. S. is no longer the dominant winner of Nobel prices in the sciences, either.

I am starting to see signs of Japanese cultural influence in the U. S. "Hello Kitty" merchandise, anime, etc. After years in which the rest of the world bought Jordache blue jeans and watched "I Love Lucy" and "Miami Vice," I think the tide is starting to turn there, too.